


A Moment in between Nightmares and Smoke

by AllesandraQ



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Nightmares, adam and the detective not butting heads, cameo of murphy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllesandraQ/pseuds/AllesandraQ
Summary: A nightmare interrupts a nap. An unexpected moment of softness from  Adam towards Detective Ashley Kingston.
Relationships: Female Detective & Adam du Mortain, Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	A Moment in between Nightmares and Smoke

**Author's Note:**

> In my playthrough, Ashley Kingston and Adam initially started off butting heads and not getting along- by the end of book 2, they went from being constantly annoyed with each other to becoming quite close as friends. I wound up developing a headcanon, thanks to Adam's line to Mason at the carnival about having honourable intentions, that Adam starts to see Detective Ashley Kingston in a paternal/older brother light. 
> 
> I recently discovered Wayhaven and it's definitely inspired me to write! I hope i did Adam justice.

Ashley drags herself to the social area of the Warehouse, flopping down on one of the couches as she kicks off her shoes, sighing in relief as she stretches out on the couch. She drops her satchel on the floor and just stares up at the ceiling. 

The tech and science lab at the Warehouse was a godsend really. Ashley had been able to use the lab to catch up on her coursework, needing to have access to a lab for a couple of her papers to conduct a couple studies. Before the upheaval of her life- the reveal that the Supernatural existed, she had to drive three hours to the nearest community college and use the labs there to conduct the experiments and write down the results. The only downside to doing online courses... but it was all she could do at the moment. 

Unit Bravo had left during her time in there tonight, heading out to do...something... she didn't quite remember as she was so focused on what was happening under her microscope she barely heard Mason and Felix. And now here she was, free from the lab, and the team didn't look to be back. 

Ashley takes a breath, and exhales as she settles on the couch. She was burning the candle at both ends lately, doing her job, working as the Agency Liaison and trying to do her schooling. She knew something was going to give at some point, but it was not going to be her classes. Completing her doctorate was her way out of Wayhaven and possibly into the Agency itself- that is if Rebecca doesn't try to run interference in her desire to 'protect'. She sighs, sitting up for a couple minutes to press her feet against the arm of the couch, stretching the muscles out, feeling exhaustion seep into her now that she wasn't busy in the lab. She needed to take a brief nap before she left. Quietly Ashley reaches up and takes the clasp out of her hair, unravelling the tight braid, tossing the hair clasp down on the floor next to her satchel. 

In her last few moments of wakefulness, she manages to grab the blanket hanging on the back of the couch and drags it over her before sleep claims her. 

***

_A needle piercing skin._

_Blood travelling..._

_A crazed gleam in a pair of eyes._

_The wicked glint of fangs..._

_"I have plans for you, Detective," Murphy's voice is menacing and gleeful. "So many plans... the first bite will be heaven..."_

_Pain.. so much pain. It hurts.._. 

***

Ashley wakes, gasping for breath, feeling her heart race and feels the stickiness of her skin- sweat. TShe meets a pair of icy green eyes and she yelps, scrambling, and falls to the floor. She winces as she hits it, and she feels her chest tighten as she tries to breath, the side of her throat that's scarred aching as if the bite had just happened. 

Murphy's still in her mind, still there, and she flinches as a hand reaches out, and a small sob threatens to escape. 

_She needs... She needs...  
_

"Detective..."

She hears the voice, but she can't make out who it is, her mind whirling and racing, fear sending everything into overdrive.

_She needs.._

_She needs...._

_Smoke,_ her mind tells her. _Smoke. Get the smoke..._

Still breathing heavily, she scrambles until she feels her satchel, upending it but not taking her eyes off the voice with the icy green eyes. 

**Danger** , her mind shrieks at her. _Murphy? No.. no... no Murphy is in a cell... need.. need.._

_Smoke. Smoke..._

_The scent of fire and heat..._

Her hands find what she's looking for- she feels the pack of cigarettes and her other hand grabs hold of a lighter. She tries to light it, keeping her gaze on whoever it is with the icy green eyes- the danger- the **THREAT** \- but her hands are shaking. So much shaking. 

"Detective, let me help you," the voice is firm, strong, hard. 

"Need... need..." she gasps out, trying to light the cigarette but she can't keep her hand steady, her body is shaking so much. 

Suddenly she hears a flick and then the familiar scent of a cigarette fills the room. It reaches her, and she closes her eyes, taking in the scent of heat and fire, bringing to mind stormy grey eyes. 

She continues to inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, letting the scent surround her, seep into her, the familiarity of it making her heart's wild thumps lessen and calm, her breathing evening out... Eventually the panic and fear resides, as it does she slumps against the edge of the couch. After a moment, Ashley opens her eyes to meet the gaze of someone crouching in front of her, staying a good few feet from her, but holding that cigarette- one of Mason's cigarettes.

Icy green meet pale green.

Recognition dings. 

"Adam?" She croaks out, wishing she wasn't seeing him here. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, let alone this man. They may be getting along better, but this was not--

"Here," he says after a moment, handing her the cigarette. She hesitantly takes hold of it and inhales the scent once more. It's potent, and it has that heat and fire like flash to it that Mason has, that being around Mason gives her. 

But it's comforting right now, instead of tantalizing and teasing. She won't think about the reasons behind it, right now she just needs it. 

Ashley feels Adam move, and she tenses, a little bit of her still... still recalling that nightmare. She hears his movement stop and she opens her eyes again. 

"Shall I help you off the floor?" He asks, no trace of judgement or humor, no trace of his usual arrogance and high handedness. No, she just sees patience. 

She shakes her head and finds a way to get back up on the couch, taking another deep breath, inhaling the very fumes of the cigarettes that she stole from Mason. She pulls her legs under her, sitting cross legged as she holds the cigarette. 

"I did not take you for a smoker, considering how you have been trying to get Mason to quit," Adam says in a careful tone as he moves to sit on the couch with her.

"Used to," she admits in a hoarse voice. "Part of the whole... rebellious youth thing. One of the milder things I did."

He arches an eyebrow at that, but says nothing. She doesn't have the energy to really indulge in their usual battles ,so she appreciates him not pressing her buttons. She spots the ashtray and dumps the cigarette in it, smothering the last little bit of it and then lights another cigarette. 

As bad as they are for her, they help her as well. 

"And now?"

"The scent.. the smoke helps," she says after a moment. No, she won't admit why. That's a dangerous path to go down. She pauses. "After." 

"I see."

Adam says nothing else, as they both sit there. As the second cigarette burns down, the nightmare recedes and when she feels more herself, Ashley stubs that cigarette out.

"I suppose the mystery of Mason's cigarettes disappearing on him has been solved," Adam says then. She looks over at him and Ashley swears she sees a ghost of a smile. "He has been ranting about how they go missing, blaming Felix."

Felix witnessed her taking a pack once. Is he taking the heat for her?

"Felix simply takes it and says Mason needs to keep better track of his things," Adam continues. 

Ashley smiles at the knowledge of Felix having her back in this. 

"You are still tired."

Just mentioning it makes the exhaustion in her body present again, and she groans. "At least I have the day off tomorrow... so to speak."

"You will stay here for the night, you are too tired to drive," Adam orders and she snorts. "You can argue with me later on this."

"Yes dad," she mutters. She goes still as the words escape, hope that he didn't really hear it already fading at his own sigh. As he gets up to move, she reaches out, tugging on his jacket sleeve. "Don't..not yet?" She can't quite form the request. She'd rather have someone else here... a pair of stormy grey eyes...Ashley frowns and shoves down that need. It won't do her any good to want. "Just.. stay a minute."

"A minute," Adam agrees. 

****

Adam sits stiffly, as a minute has now turned into fifteen. Detective Kingston fell asleep again, and this time her head rests on his shoulder. He could leave, but he found himself staying. 

The absence of sarcasm from the Detective was quite something. Subdued and vulnerable...something he never thought he'd see. The last time he saw her like this was when Mason was being tended to after the encounter with the Trappers. 

Adam hears footsteps and turns enough to see Mason coming to a stop at the entrance. A quirk of an eyebrow and Adam glares at Mason.   
  
"Take her to her room," Adam orders him, as he carefully maneuvers himself out from under her. Thankfully the Detective did not wake. "She needs sleep- it has not been restful," he adds meaningful. "So please refrain from trying to pursue your usual activities," he adds when Mason's smirk widens. 

Mason arches a brow but nods. As he strides forward, Adam waits until Mason has his attention on the Detective and stealthily puts those cigarettes back in Ashley's satchel. He watches as Mason carefully lifts the young woman into his arms, with an expression that Adam doesn't dare to linger on. 

He pointedly ignores the way the man's eyes darken with brief flickering concern as he brushes back the curls of light red hair. Of the way Mason's thumb brushes over Ashley's cheek, or the scars on her neck, as he holds the woman in his arms. Of the gentle way he _does_ hold her, as he starts to leave the social room. 

Adam sighs as he looks about the darkened room. Time to talk to Nate about this. Soon, the door will not be able to be closed and he worries about the consequences of that. For the team, for Mason, and for Detective Kingston. 


End file.
